Severus Snape Always Persues Evans
by GiGi Babineaux
Summary: If Severus had succeeded in making Lily forgive him after he called her a Mudblood, maybe things would be different. Maybe a lot more different than you may think. Misspell in the title is intentional. Blame J. K. Rowling.


Severus was furious with himself. _Why_ had he called Lily a Mudblood? He hadn't meant to. He had just been so humiliated. Knowing that the sooner he apologized the better, he sought the nearly empty corridors desperately for Lily. He found her heading towards the Gryffindor common room. He could tell she was angry even from behind.

When she heard someone following her, she turned to see who it was. Finding Severus, she swished her long red hair as she turned back and kept walking.

Severus jogged up to walk beside her. "Lily-"

"Go away, Snivellus," Lily cut him off.

He winced at the cruel nickname. "I'm so sorry! Lily, please, I'm so sorry-"

"Save your breath!" Lily snapped, giving him a sideways glare.

"Just give me a chance to explain myself. Please. I couldn't bear it if...if..."

Lily rounded on him. "If what?" Her green eyes bore into him mercilessly.

"If you weren't my friend anymore," Severus spoke softly. "You're the only one, Lily. The only one who ever really cared."

"How pathetic for the son of a Pureblood to be rejected by everyone except a filthy Mudblood. And a stupid one, for having ever cared for the likes of you!" she spat.

Severus bit his lip. He could feel his eyes welling up with tears. But he would not cry in front of Lily. It would just prove her point. "I am pathetic," he said, the words somehow making him feel more confident. "And I don't blame you if you never speak to me again. Good-bye, Lily." He turned around to walk away. But Lily caught his arm.

"Wait," she said in a softer voice.

Severus turned back around, finally gaining hope. She had probably noticed the tears in his eyes. She always noticed.

"I didn't realize our friendship still mattered to you anymore," Lily looked on the brink of tears herself. "After all this time."

"Always," Severus choked the word out.

To his utter astonishment, Lily burst into tears and embraced Severus around his middle. He awkwardly put his arms around her and patted her back.

"But why did you call me a Mudblood?" she sobbed into his robes. "Is that really how you think of me? Have your Slytherin pureblood friends turned you against magic people with nonmagical parents?

Severus swallowed nervously. His next words would determine whether Lily would forgive him or not. "People like you? What is that supposed to mean? No! No, they haven't. They call other people that...and I was angry at what just happened and said the first insult that came to mind. It was a terrible thing for me to do. Please forgive me, Lily."

"Oh, I forgive you," Lily sniffed and looked up at him. "I'm sorry I didn't forgive you straight off." She backed a step away and took his hands in hers.

Severus could hardly breathe. Lily was voluntarily touching his skin. "I had it coming. I expected no less from a true Gryffindor."

"Was that another insult?" Lily asked.

"No," Severus said truthfully. "Because you forgave me in the end. Potter would do well to take after you."

Lily smiled. She reached up and kissed him sweetly on the cheek. "I'm glad we're friends gain, Sev."

The teenage wizard almost fainted with delight at the touch of her lips. _Sev._ "Me too."

"You need to be careful, though," Lily said, wiping the remnants of her tears away with her sleeve. "I don't trust the people you hang around with. I don't want you to be the next dark wizard out of Slytherin."

Severus hung his head. "I know. It's hard, though...to stay away from what they're meddling in."

"That's scary," Lily said, concern written on her face. "Please be careful. And watch your language. You don't want to accidentally call a teacher a Mudblood."

"Do we have any Muggle-born teachers?" Severus wondered.

"I'm not sure," Lily answered.

There was suddenly the sound of people scuffling towards them. Severus turned around. It was none other than Potter, Black, and Lupin.

"Leave her alone, Snivellus!" Potter shouted at him. "Haven't you done enough to her?"

Severus held his tongue. Lily did not. She marched around him and screamed in Potter's face, "Leave him alone, Potter! I will tell McGonagall if you don't!"

"You wouldn't dare!" Black scoffed.

"Wouldn't I?" Lily shouted back at him.

Lupin looked at Severus and then at Lily. "He hasn't cast a Confundus charm on you, has he? Because in case you don't recall, he-" Lupin pointed at Severus "-just called you a Mudblood earlier."

"Maybe he did, but at least he has the humility to apologize," Lily informed him. "Unlike some people." She glared at Potter. Then she turned back to Lupin. "I'd use that Prefect badge more freely on these two if I were you."

Then she grabbed Severus's hand and marched him out of the castle, the three Gryffindor boys looking after them in astonishment.


End file.
